1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to automated and modularized vending machines that can be custom deployed in diverse configurations. More specifically, the present invention relates to automated vending systems utilizing a common, robotic dispensing module and associated modules that can be assembled and configured to create diverse vending arrangements, with components linked together via a virtual integrated network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Numerous prior art vending machines exist for selling or vending diverse products through an automated, or ‘self-service’ format. Vending reached popularity in the late 1800's with coin-operated devices dispensing diverse merchandise. More recently vending machines have evolved to include robotic dispensing components, and/or PCs and virtual interfaces. These new vending platforms have emerged in the marketplace under the popular descriptions “automated retail,” “interactive retail,” and/or “interactive retail displays.” Such vending machines may be deployed within a variety of commercial or public settings. They typically include illuminated displays that seek to showcase merchandise and offer convenient purchasing.
In the vending arts, machines historically have a similar design and orientation that make them unable to easily change machine sizes and configurations, inventory storage sizes and product form factors without rebuilding or redesigning the machine. Typically machines are “one size fits all”. There are some models of traditional vending machines that allow additional inventory areas to be added on, but these models do not utilize a robotic dispensing unit to move the product from the shelf to the collection area and rely on gravity (drop) systems. Because of the expense of robotic delivery systems and the configuration of these systems, these machines have been constrained to serving one user at a time through one side of the machine. In addition the machines come in a single size format and two machines have to be stacked adjacently to expand site capacity. In more modern robotic machines, the size of the machines tends to be larger than traditional vending and units cannot be reduced based on the robotic architecture and production of the machine. In all of these machines, the robotic dispensing system is built as a continuation of the inventory system and cannot be easily separated.
This invention introduces an isolated and centralized robotic dispensing system that can support multiple inventory areas and technologies within those areas. The system provides a single collection area (central column) that can be used with a number of different typed and sized inventory areas, solo or in any combination. With its orientation and modular design, it can be easily configured to vend out of multiple sides of the machine allowing more than one person to simultaneously conduct transactions within the same machine, or to contract into a half-sized machine (one inventory wing vs. two) Its design also allows for display components to be separately operating as independent merchandising displays that can be placed in a field apart from the centralized dispensing totem and connect to this totem via wireless connectivity, increasing merchandising capability.
There is great value in having a centralized and isolated universal system for collecting and dispensing items. Various inventory areas can be used with the same dispensing system allowing a great deal of flexibility in how the machine is configured. A machine can be composed of inventory elements, display units and a central dispensing area “strung together” enabling the machine footprint to grow/contract depending on environmental constraints. Inventory solutions can be updated and reconfigured to work with the central dispensing mechanism without significant customization of the dispensing mechanism, allowing for rapid accommodation of new types and amounts of merchandise for purchase or promotion.
This central dispensing system design allows greater reliability of dispensing by providing a uniform broader surface area (landing pad) for products to dispense. It also reduces axes of motion by 1 (e.g. X, Y, and Z reduces to Y and Z motion) by eliminating excess movement through inefficient placement of inventory and robotic components. Elimination of excess movement reduces potential points of failure and additional calibration and programming, along with increasing power efficiency and delivery speed. This design also affords the ability to dispense out of multiple sides of the machine allowing more than one user to use the machine at the same time.
It is thus desirable to provide a method and system that centralizes the robotic dispensing components into a separate area that can be combined with various numbers and sizes of inventory areas and various display doors to dynamically create a vending unit or automated retail store.